Ben Barnett

To mark 100 years since the outbreak the First World War, farmers have produced a commemorative video paying tribute to those who gave their lives to protect the country.

The film, produced by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), also highlights the role of those who toiled against the odds at home to keep the nation fed.

Some 250,000 farmers enlisted with the British Army during that time, and to ensure food production did not cease on these shores, 66,000 soldiers, 12,000 members of the Women’s Land Army and 148,000 women stepped in.

David Hamer, the NFU’s Yorkshire West Riding county chairman, said: “On Remembrance Sunday we all take time to think about the supreme sacrifice made by so many during times of war.

“Of course the farming community has played its part, not just on the field of conflict but also back at home working to feed the nation.

“The challenge was almost overwhelming during World War One, with almost a third of farmers going to war, horses requisitioned, machinery limited and fertilisers and feed in short supply.

“So as we all continue to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War, remembering those who gave so much to secure our freedom, we also want to remember the few that fed the many. They too made an astonishing contribution to the war effort.”